Carrier Oils for Children

Carrier Oils for Children

When you use aromatherapy oils for kids, you will also have to use a carrier oil in order to dilute the oil so it will not be as strong. You usually only need a few drops of essential oil in order for the oil to have its desired effect, and if you are using the aromatherapy for massaging your child or infant, you will need to make extra sure that your oil is as diluted as possible. Aromatherapy for baby and children recipes may require you to use a carrier oil like baby oil or olive oil, and these carrier oils should also work well for people of all ages. You can also use mineral oil as an essential oil, but this oil is usually reserved for adults and teenagers, since it tends to be a little heavier. Carrier oils are necessary no matter what you plan on doing with the essential oils you choose, and they are even more important when you are preparing aromatherapy for children, since their skin is especially sensitive. Before you participate in aromatherapy for kids with your children, be sure that you check with your doctor to make sure that your child's skin will not react negatively to any of the oils before aromatherapy.

Safety Precautions while Using Aromatherapy for Children

When you're preparing for aromatherapy for infants and children, you should make sure that the oil you're using for massaging is diluted properly (the labels on the essential oil should tell you the ratio of carrier oil and essential oil you should use). It is also important to make sure that the oil is not too hot, since extremely warm oil can damage the skin as well.
In order to see how well an essential oil works on your child, try using the scent of the oil in the house and see how your child responds to it. You can use the oils in place of air freshener, and observe the changes that may take place in your child's mood or overall health. These steps will help you to see which oils your child responds to best, and will help you to tell if your child has an allergic reaction to any oils before you using them for massaging or inhalation.